u/TheOnvoy

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Helloooo,

So I am a writer in search of an artist for the cover of a short story project.

It is a personal piece exploring themes of grief, isolation, uncertainty, loss, exhaustion, and the impact suicide has on both the individual and the people around them.

My budget is currently around £70, though I am happy to have a conversation.

I'm an independent author. This story will not be going to an agent or publishing house, so I don't have an unlimited budget to work with. That being said, I completely understand that good art has value, as does the artist creating it. If you are happy working within that range, brilliant. If your normal rate is higher but you genuinely connect with the project, feel free to reach out anyway.

The biggest thing I want to say is this:

I am not looking for someone who simply wants to create exactly what I tell them to create.

If you read this and think, "I'd do that differently," or, "I have a better idea," that's brilliant, amazing even. I genuinely want to hear it.

You are the artist. I am the writer.

I want the piece to feel like art, not an instruction manual brought to life. Experience and portfolio size are not the most important things to me. Passion, atmosphere, symbolism, creativity, and having your own voice matter far more.

So about the idea I have for the design.

The core concept revolves around a lone figure suspended between two unknowns. One represents grief, depression, loss, and the weight he carries.

The other appears to offer escape, yet leads only into another unknown.

The figure is not choosing between life and death. The figure is trapped in a situation where every option feels wrong.

The cover takes place in the depths of an ocean. The audience is positioned far away from the figure. I think this distance helps the audience better understand his isolation. In a strange way they become part of the story themselves, seeing him the same way he sees himself.

The figure should feel small compared to the environment around him.

The ocean is impossibly deep. The surface is not visible. There is no clear sense of where the world begins or ends. It should feel uncomfortable and uncertain.

This faint beam of pale light descending through the darkness, illuminating only a small portion of the scene. I often imagine it as moonlight. Not because it offers hope, but because it helps illuminate the scene while still maintaining the feeling of night and dark.

At the centre of the image is a man suspended within the water.

A line or rope extends upward into the pale light and darkness above. The viewer cannot clearly see where it leads.

Beneath the man is a vast unnatural void. Not a cave, not a crater, not a natural sinkhole. Something impossible. Something that feels wrong. A wound in reality itself.

The edges of the void should feel as though they are being pulled inward, as if the world itself is slowly collapsing into it.

Throughout the darkness there may be subtle silhouettes, shapes, or suggestions of forms. These should remain ambiguous. The viewer should never be entirely certain whether they are looking at something real or their own imagination.

The overwhelming emotional focus of the image is loneliness.

Not fear.

Not horror.

Loneliness.

The viewer should feel the crushing weight of isolation before they begin to understand the symbolism.

The image is meant to carry isolation, uncertainty, exhaustion, and the feeling of being suspended between impossible choices.

One thing I'd love to include as well.

I'm not sure if any of you normally sign your work, but I would love for you to hide your signature somewhere within the artwork.

It can be obvious or almost impossible to find.

A shadow.

A symbol.

A shape.

A pattern.

Your name worked into the environment.

Whatever you like.

I love the idea that years later someone might discover the artist hidden inside the piece. I think it adds something special to the work.

Most of all, I'm looking for someone with spirit. Someone who genuinely wants to create something because they love to, i love to write and it would be fantastic! to work with someone who shares that same spirit.

If this at all sounds interesting, if you are new, if you just want to have some fun with it, I'd love to hear your thoughts, even if your vision is completely different from my own.

I don't know if it feels like i am asking a lot here or if its the standard. i mean i do have a habit of ramble on a bit but hey its all fun. Thank you so much for reading.

Ohww!!! before i forget, i marked this as NSFW mainly because.... well suicide. So i didn't know were it fell in terms of the rules but just playing it safe